Floor tile



June 12, 1951 p, 2,556,662

FLOOR TILE Filed Dec. 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l VENTOR ya 1? Race M Warm ATTORNEYS June 12, 1951' Filed Dec. 29, 1945 G. P. RICE FLOOR TILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 12 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR TILE Georg'exll Rice, Nashville, Tenn.

Application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,197

2"Claims.

This invention relates to a system of reinforced tile floor construction, consisting of joists made up of a plurality of contiguous hollow tiles laid end to end, having a longitudinal groove in the lower face in which is embedded in cement, a metal tension resisting rod extending thelength of the joist.

One of the objects of the invention is to build the joist in situ in the floor area, utilizing the ventional practice, in that the reinforcing rod is on the tension side of the joist, while the pre- "fabricatcd joist is necessarily built up with the groove uppermost and the reinforcing rod embedded in what is the compression side of the joist when it is lifted from the casting plank and before it is inverted for placing uponthe walls,

necessitating resort to a temporary tension resistin-g rod passed through the tiles on the temporary tensioned side and bolted against the end tiles, or the provision of additional permanent reinforcement, on the tensioned side.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of reinforced tile floor construction-of the type described, providing forthe introduction of supplementary reinforcement for resisting positive moment stresses when required, to meet span or loading conditions, in such manner as to employ aminimum of metal reinforcement.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a floor construction system as described, which permits the introduction of supplementary reinforcement for resisting negative momentsof stress, when desired.

Still another object of the invention is-the provision of a tile unit particularly adapted for the herein described system of floor construction.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the longitudinal tensioning rods suspended from a shored transverse tie rod;

Figure 2 is aperspective view taken at right angles to the view of Figure 1, illustrating a method of shoring the transverse supporting rod;

2 Figure 3 is an end elevation of a tile constructed for the practice of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a cross-section through the longitudinal tensioning rods, illustrating the method of setting the tile;

Figure 5 is a cross-section through adjacent joists; I

Figure 6- is a diagrammatic view of a joist in side elevation, illustrating the position of local reverse tensioned rods;

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation, illustrating the position of supplemental tensioning rods, permitting a light size of main tensioning rod.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I represents the vertical space enclosing walls, the top perimeter of which defines the area to be floored. The numeral 2' represents the metal tensioning rods which rest at their ends upon opposite walls and aliord temporary supports for the tiles. The rods 2 are shored at the middle, as shown, and at other points if required, according to the length of the span and the sturdiness of the rods. A load distributing rod 3 is laid transversely across the rods 2 at the middle of the span, and at other points according tothe magnitude and distribution of the load, as may be required. The rods 3 are wired to the rods 2.

The shoring at the middle is of conventional character, comprising the adjustable shores 4, which support the transverse beam 5, a short distance below the rods 2. Chairs 6 rest upon the beam and support the middle transverse rod 3. The rods 2 are thus suspended at the middle from the middle transverse rod 3. If it be desired to give the joists some camber tocompensate for deflection, the middle rod may be shored up to bring the middles' of the rods 2 slightly above the plane of the ends.

The chairs engage the rod 3' intermediate the rods 2, so that the latter are" unobstructed from end to end, to facilitate placing of the tile.

Figure 2 shows all of the rods 2 in position. In practice, it may be found desirable to have only one in position at a time, the others being temporarily left placed together in close arrangement at the opposite side of the floor area. This leaves an unobstructed space in front of the rod 2 being worked upon, enabling'the workmen to stand on staging below the floor plane in front of the joist under construction. When this joist is completed, the next rod 2 is moved into permanent position, and so on.

The preferred form of tile for use in this construction system is shown in cross-section in Figure 3. It has a top face 4, 6% inches wide, with rabbets 5 and 6, 1 /2 inches deep, extending along each side, that at the rear of the tile being inch wide, while that at the front of the tile is 1 inch wide. The sides of the tile, from the bottoms of the rabbets to the lower face, have the form of parallel inclined batters I and 8, the rear batter -I inclining inwardly, and the forward batter 8, outwardly. The pitch of the batters is 1 /2 inches in 6 inches. The lower face 9 of the tile is 7 inches wide and is parallel to the top face. A vertical web I!) joins the front edge of the top face with the lower face at an intermediate point. Forward of the vertical web the tile is provided with a groove I I, opening in its lower face. The groove II is preferably of dovetail cross-section, as shown. The forward lower corner I2 of the tile is preferably rounded to facilitate setting. The tile, as shown, has a large cell I3 and a smaller cell IA of trapezoidal shape, separated from the groove II by a transverse bearing web I5.

The top face of the tile, the sides along the batters, the bottom face and the surfaces of the groove I I are all standard scored, not shown, for bonding of concrete, mortar or plaster. The tiles are also scored along the lines IS, IT, I8 and I9 for breaking, to obtain pieces for finishing the respective rear and front sides of the completed floor, and for break-in the lower face to receive service conduits, as shown in Figure 4.

The specific shape and dimensions of the tile are by way of example and are not to be regarded as limitations of the invention.

In laying the floor, the individual tiles are inverted and the groove II filled with mortar. The tile is then buttered with mortar on one end and on the forward batter 8. The tile is then turned to bring the groove II downward, and is set with the rear portion 20 resting upon the back wall and with the mortar filled groove II over the first tension rod 2, which sinks through the mortar until it rests against thethe depth of the rods 2 is equal to the full depthof the grooves I I.

When the first joist has been thus fabricated, the second tension rod 2 is moved into permanent position and the tiles of the second joist laid thereupon in the manner described, with the inwardly inclinedbatters I of the tiles of the second joist resting upon and against the outwardly inclined batters of the tiles of the first joist. The off-center position of the grooves II causes the unbalanced weight of the tiles of the second joist to bear downward upon the batters of the tiles of the first joist, compressing the mortar, forming a strong and compact joint and at the same time distributing the load on one joist to the adjacent joist.

The successive joists are built up in the same manner in contiguous relationship, until the floor has been completed. The matching rabbets '5 and 6 of adjacent joists form channels 25,

1 /2 inches wide (allowing (2 inch for the mortar joint), to receive wooden sleepers 26, if a wooden floor is to be superimposed, or to form keys for a concrete or other plastic surface topping. Said channels also afford means for receiving local tension rods 22, for resisting reverse tension stresses, as for example, when the joist is supported upon intermediate partitions, as shown in Figure 6, the rods 22 being embedded in mortar. In a floor construction where the tiles are of the dimensions herein specified, the centers of the channels 25 are 8 inches apart, so that the sleepers may be placed in alternate channels and afford nailing supports at the standard distance of 16 inches on center. The reverse tension rods, when employed, may be placed in the remaining alternate channels. In Figure 6 the curved lines a indicate the direction of the tension at various points.

In the interest of economical construction, the tension rods 2 may be of smaller uniform crosssection than is adequate to resist the load at the point of maximum deflection. Referring to Figure 7, the arrowb represents the point of maximum deflection, there being of course, no deflection at the supported ends of the rods 2. A rod 2 may be selected of the minimum cross-sectional size to adequately support the load at the third points 0 and d. This will be insufficient to support the load between the third points so that supplementary tensioning metal must be employed between the third points. To provide for this, the tiles ma be formed with the longitudinal channels 23 in the lower part of the inwardly inclined batter I, to receive the supplementary tension rods 24 embedded in mortar, of such size and length, and so positioned as to compensate for the deficiency in the main tensioning rod 2.

The transverse rods 3 are positioned so as to pass through the mortar joints between the ends of adjacent tiles in each joist, and when thus embedded, serve as means for the wide distribution of concentrated loads in a transverse direction, and also act as rods without the need of concrete topping.

From the above description it will be understood that the practice of the present invention obviates the apparatus and number of men required to lift and carry heavy precast joists; that it avoids the need of providing special metallic reinforcement required in precast tile joists for strengthening them While they are being carried and until inverted; that it makes possible the use of the minimum amount of steel by providing for the insertion of supplementary metal reinforcement only where necessary, to care for inverse moments of tension and intentional lightness of the main tensioning rods; that it provides for transverse load distributing tie rods between the joists; that it provides for wood nailers in the top surface of the floor when desired, and affords a flat under surface for the direct application of plaster or other type of finish.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the specific details of construction as shown and described are by way of illustration and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. Hollow tile for reinforced fioor construction, having parallel top and bottom faces, longitudinal rabbets of uniform depth laterally at each side of the top face, and parallel inclined front and back sides extending from the rabbets to the bottom face, the front side being inclined outwardly in a downward direction, a web extending from the front of the top face to the bottom face perpendicular thereto, a second web parallel to the bottom face extending from the first mentioned web to the front side, and a longitudinal groove in the bottom face extending depthwise to said second mentioned web, for the embedment of a tension rod.

2. Hollow tile as claimed in claim 1, the back 5 inclined side having a longitudinal groove substantially in the same horizontal plane as the groove in the bottom face, adapted for the embedment of a. locally positioned supplementary tension rod.

GEORGE P. RICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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